Yardi Atlanta recently celebrated the most successful Yardi Prom Drive, supporting Foster Care Support Foundation (FCSF) in nearby Roswell, GA. About Foster Care Support Foundation Each year, approximately 8,000 children in Georgia are in need of foster care. Placement in a good home is only part of the battle. Many foster parents and relatives struggle to provide enrichment materials and experiences for the children in their care. For 17 years, FCSF had provided free clothing, infant care equipment, and developmental learning tools to thousands of foster and relative care families. The organization accepts gently used materials to offset its annual operational costs of $700,000. To date, the organization has served more than 50,000 children through its services. Yardi Atlanta + FCSF Yardi formed a relationship with FCSF through the local grant committee. Committee members Shana Winbush and Marilyn Duffield proposed the idea of supporting foster families. The timeliness of FCSF Prom Drive was a perfect fit. Yardi hosted this year’s Prom Drive Boutique in honor of FCSF. Committee member Keiya Huguley helped to coordinate the event. “Many foster families don’t have $200-$500 to pay for the tux, suit, dress, shoes, accessories, make-up, hair, nails, and everything that goes into attending a prom. Prom Drives give foster children a better chance of living a life close as possible to ‘normal,’ despite circumstances. These types of drives are helping families financially and impacting them emotionally,” observes Huguley. To raise awareness for the clothing drive, the committee started a prom photo contest that selected daily winners for a week. Employees submitted their prom photos to enter the daily drawing. Daily winners received entry into the final drawing where they were eligible to become Yardi Prom King and Queen. But before announcing the winners, the team created a...

The next Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference is coming to Washington, D.C., kicking off on May 30, 2018. YASC brings together more than 1,500 professionals from nearly every property and financial management industry for instruction, comradery, and insight into the future of technology. At last year’s YASC, we sat down with Rachel Brown, Section 8 manager for the Fort Smith, Arkansas Housing Authority (FSHA). Rachel has witnessed exciting growth during her nearly 15 years with FSHA, growth that includes personal experiences, organizational development, as well as the growth of clients she serves. Here’s a recap of our conversation last spring. Welcome to YASC! Tell us a little about yourself and your organization. Our mission is to develop, rehabilitate and manage decent, safe and sanitary affordable housing. We promote equal opportunity, fair housing initiatives and the deconcentration of race and poverty. I’ve been with FSHA for nearly 15 years, and we’ve really grown over that time. When I first started as a housing specialist, we had around 450 Public Housing units and less than 1,200 vouchers. Today, we have more than 1,600 vouchers under our management, transitioned 288 public housing units through the RAD program, and replaced 170 public housing units with the help of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits.  Our current development efforts include Low-Income Housing Tax Credit units, rehabbing dilapidated housing for sale to low- and moderate-income families, and exploring ways to provide everyone with the affordable housing that meets their needs. What do you find most rewarding about your career thus far? Seeing people’s lives transition and change for the better, those are the real ‘wow’ moments. Clients come into our program in many personal situations. Some are single parents, others are going to school or raising a family. It’s inspiring when they enter our...

When Charles Hunt decided to strike out on his own and start a boutique property management firm in Melbourne, Australia, he knew that one of the factors that would make or break the new business was the technology platform he chose. “CHP Management was born out of the need to provide boutique, high quality add-value service to our clients. We only do property management, and we specialise in bringing back professional service to property management and the real estate industry,” says Hunt, the founder and director of CHP Management, which opened in 2014. The company focuses on privately held retail shopping centres, industrial properties and office buildings. Coming from a major multi-national firm where he had worked for 8 years, Hunt saw that commercial real estate clients were often disappointed or frustrated without the support of personalised customer service. At the same time, they required a robust technology platform that would handle much of the back office work. “We had to make sure that the ‘exact science’ part of our role was done well, accurately and efficiently. That’s what Yardi does for us,” Hunt says. His vision has been recognised –  In 2010 and 2015 he was awarded the honour of REIV Commercial Property Manager of the Year and in 2016 he was a finalist for National REIA Commercial Property Manager of the Year. Four years after Hunt signed his first Yardi contract, he can definitively say that he made a smart choice by choosing the Yardi Commercial Suite. The rapid growth of his company, while maintaining a lean staff size, is proof. CHP Management now has in excess of 100 properties under management after starting with just one. Despite that influx, just one staff member can handle the admin and accounting platform for...

Investment capital isn’t in short supply—plenty is available from China, Europe, the U.S. and other sources. So why are real estate investors working harder, yet finding fewer high-return opportunities? One dampening factor is increased investor choosiness arising from due diligence activities that increased starting in 2009, when a low market virtually guaranteed returns and asset prices would rise. Plus, the regulatory climate has thickened. But the main problem today is that the marketplace, especially the U.S. with its abundance of capital, is chasing relatively few investment opportunities. Can fund managers under pressure to place money they’ve raised find, evaluate and capitalize on good deals? Yes, says Rob Teel, Yardi’s senior vice president of global solutions—if they have the means and ability to unearth opportunities they ordinarily wouldn’t consider, or even know about.  We asked Teel for insight into how technology can be an ally in the effort to identify investment opportunities and manage assets through their life cycle. Q: What’s a key trend among the real estate property owners, managers and investors you encounter? Teel: A lot of people are seeing the advantage of automating investment accounting, performance measurement and investor reporting with an integrated investment and asset management system. They realize that having all decision-making tools within a single system exceeds what’s possible with spreadsheets and separate databases. Managers dealing with hundreds of combined funds, entities, properties and investors are happy to be free of manually uploading data, relying on cumbersome spreadsheets and mining data from separate systems. Q: What matters the most to investment managers as they evaluate potential acquisitions? Teel: Getting a complete picture that helps them decide to acquire an asset and the best option and optimal time for renovating or selling it. This underscores the importance of automating the...

As California’s Central Coast continues to heal after the recent natural disasters, we are thankful for the many volunteers and community agencies who have stepped up to lend a helping hand through events, fundraisers, donations and volunteerism. Yardi employees and executives have recently contributed to the efforts to dig out Montecito homes that suffered mud and flooding damage in the early January slide. Recovery and restoration efforts are ongoing, and volunteer opportunities are available each weekend. A big thank you to the Thomas Fire Benefit Festival, Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade, Foodbank SB, and our many employees for supporting the disaster relief efforts. Learn more and get involved at the links below. Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County: https://www.sbhabitat.org/disaster-response Donations and volunteer hours are needed to assist with the Habitat for Humanity recovery campaign. Weekdays and weekend volunteer hours are available. Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade: www.santabarbarabucketbrigade.org Weekend meetups are available for those who would like to contribute sweat equity to those digging out their homes and properties. Foodbank SB: www.foodbanksbc.org The Foodbank assisted with food distribution during the evacuation period, and volunteer opportunities are always available to help with processing donations and other tasks. Thomas Fire Benefit Festival: www.thomasfirebenefit.com Yardi sponsored the Thomas Fire Benefit Festival in Ventura on February 3 at Plaza Park. 100% of proceeds from the Thomas Fire Benefit Festival will be put toward recovery from the devastating Thomas...

Are you feeling energized for 2018? It’s a new year, bringing fresh challenges and opportunities. And while every January can inspire a list of resolutions, for every real estate business one goal is likely to top the list year after year: reduce costs. When it comes to lowering operational expenses, going paperless for as many tasks as possible is smart. And here’s some great news: it’s easier to do than you might think, and the benefits are big. For Dallas-based apartment manager LumaCorp, centralizing and automating procurement and payables processing on its mobile Yardi property management platform using Yardi Procure to Pay has not only reduced costs for the company, but also saves its staff valuable time (in addition to sparing more than a few trees). And in just three months, by eliminating the cost of transporting invoices by courier, Procure to Pay paid for itself. Better Buying and Bigger Discounts LumaCorp manages 24 apartment communities with more than 6,000 units. According to Larry Orth, LumaCorp’s controller, the company’s maintenance, repair and operating supply costs fell by 4 percent the first year after adopting Yardi Procure to Pay, an end-to-end, paperless procurement and invoice processing system that’s part of the Yardi Multifamily Suite full-business platform. Orth said, “For me, the great thing about it is the time efficiency, both at the properties and in the accounting department. We are a full service Procure to Pay client, so the processing is handled by Yardi, which takes a lot off our onsite people’s hands. All told, Procure to Pay has reduced by up to 40 percent the time our team spends on the payables process. And it’s a paperless system, which obviously also benefits the environment.” LumaCorp has also gained savings from the negotiated pricing across...

Yardi Saskatoon participated in the Extra Life game day, a playtime marathon to support Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital was the local beneficiary of the event. Extra Life  started back in 2008 with a handful of passionate gamers. Since then, the community has grown to more than 100,000 participants. To date, Extra Life has raised more than $40 million for children facing illness and major injuries. The Concept Ideally, Extra Life is a gaming marathon that lasts for 24 consecutive hours. While there is an official Game Day (often early November) gamers are able to contribute whenever their schedules allow. They’re also encouraged to take breaks and spread out the 24 hours as needed. Gamers can choose from a variety of game styles, from PS4 to card games and even hop scotch. It’s an entirely flexible fundraising platform that allows players to customize the experience based on the interests and expertise of those involved. Fundraising milestone are also customizable. Coordinators recommend a minimum of $100, but players are encouraged to select an amount that is personal. For example, Extra Life founder Jeromy Adams set his 2011 goal at $5,415. That odd number represents $5 for each day that his friend Tori spent fighting leukemia before she succumbed to the illness. Passionate participants begin by receiving achievement badges, milestones in raising awareness and rallying support. For every year of participation, gamers receive Legacy Badges that distinguish them from newbies in the field. Power Ups are the participants’ ultimate in-game reward! Each year, coordinators collaborate with partners to offer “gaming goodies.” These can range from discounts to expansion packs and merchandise. Platinum players receive Extra Life memorabilia such as t-shirts, medals, and exclusive prizes. The Event The event was held on-site on the...

Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. It is the only cause of death within the top 10 list that currently cannot be prevented, cured or slowed. Many Americans are working to change that. Yardi client Senior Star of Tulsa, Oklahoma, has joined in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Senior Star operates 14 communities with a total of 2,200 apartments in six states. A small but mighty force in the senior housing industry, the company is making its mark on Alzheimer’s research and awareness.  When Yardi reported on Senior Star in 2014, the company raised $255,000 through The Walk to End Alzheimer’s®. In 2017, the company successfully raised $600,000. In the last five years, the organization has exceeded $2.3 million in funds raised. Associates from throughout the organization raised funds and put in the miles to make it happen. Tyler Hanes, Project Director at Senior Star, is one such associate. He has participated in the walk for six years. His work with memory support communities encouraged his participation in the walks. In 2010, Senior Star acquired its first memory support community. Hanes frequently visited with the residents and their families. The experience had a profound impact on his understanding of the disease. “I had always been aware of Alzheimer’s, but I never fully understood the magnitude of the disease until I was touched that year by so many of our remarkable residents struggling with Alzheimer’s. I was initially encourage by Robert (Bob) Thomas, one of the Senior Star founders, to join the Walk To End Alzheimer’s and I’m certainly grateful for his words of wisdom,” says Hanes. Hanes received support from as far away as Toronto. “It’s always inspiring to know the people we work alongside, no matter their geographical location, share...

Many multifamily firms are turning to corporate social responsibility (CSR) to meet the needs of their communities beyond the walls of the homes that they develop, manage and support. CSR initiatives encompass a company’s efforts to promote positive societal, economic or environmental change. The initiatives are self-regulated, and the scope and scale of CSR programs can vary widely. The results, however, share common benefits. Four real estate firms shared their successful approaches to local and international CSR projects. Spreading local goodwill MC Residential of Arizona founded the Sharing the Good Life Foundation, the company’s non-profit, to make a positive difference in the communities where employees live, work, learn and play. Lesley Brice, President, has been involved since the nascent stages of the program. “We’ve raised hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past several years, most of which have been through payroll deductions and time off deductions or donations, as well as vendor matching activities,” Brice said. The Foundation has collected 715 volunteer hours, 42,036 employee PTO hours, and $55,617 in payroll contributions. The funds raised are directed towards local nonprofit organizations. The nonprofits are nominated by employees and selected by a peer grant committee. In recent years, MC Residential focused resources on two national organizations: Autism Speaks and the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC). “We found our niche in raising money for autism when we brought autism awareness to the Arizona Multihousing Association (AMA). We raised over $100,000, mostly through PTO donations. We created a program, hours4autism.com. That way, rather than reaching in their pocket, team members can donate hours of PTO time toward whatever charity we were getting behind at the time. Everyone got to participate in a little way that added up,” Brice said. MC Residential also encouraged vendor...

Yardi client USA Properties teamed up with Life Steps in 1996 to create the J.B. Brown Fund, a philanthropic partnership to help residents of affordable housing fulfill their academic potential, participate in sports, and overcome financial hardships. The Fund Geoffrey C. Brown, president and CEO of USA Properties Fund Inc., co-created J.B. Brown fund in honor of his father. His father established the company’s mission back in 1981. The fund is an extension of that mission. “What’s important to me is our tagline as a company: Creating Outstanding Communities,’” says Brown. “To me, an outstanding community isn’t just a pretty project with sticks and bricks. A nice community also includes the social services that we provide.” Social services at USA Properties begin with LifeSteps, a resource provider offering skills training and educational programs that empower residents. Services are extended through the J.B. Brown fund. The athletic opportunities offered through the fund are close to Brown’s heart. He participated in youth sports as a child and coached his children in youth sports for several years. “The lessons learned in youth sports are invaluable,” begins Brown. “You learn teamwork, discipline, and competition but most importantly, you learn how to lose. You learn that you can’t be afraid to fail. That might be the most valuable of all lessons.” The crown jewels of the J.B. Brown Fund are the academic scholarships, awarded to residents that strive to attend institutions of higher learning. To date, the J.B. Brown Fund has been able to fund every qualified applicant. “We want to create a mindset where people don’t think that because they grew up in affordable housing community that they can’t go to college,” explains Brown. “We’ve had a number of successful people who have gone through the whole program....

At Yardi, community outreach is built into the fibers of daily operations. Yardi corporate empowers local offices to award grants to nonprofits within their communities. Each office receives a sum that can be shared between local charitable organizations. The Process In Scottsdale, the Yardi office organized a committee composed of volunteer employees. Each participant nominated up to two nonprofits. The nominations were accompanied by a presentation on the nonprofit including its mission and community impact. With presentations complete, the committee then voted to select six nonprofits that fit the criteria of Yardi corporate. The Recipients The following nonprofits received the committee’s final approval. Committee members hosted a small ceremony in which representatives from each organization could visit the office, speak on behalf of their nonprofit, receive the donation and share how the contribution would be used to uplift the community. Comfort Food Pantry is an affiliate of Feeding America, a program dedicated to delivering food and necessities to families in the East Valley. The organization offers non-judgmental assistance to those in need in an effort to strengthen the community. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention raises awareness and provides resources and aid to those affected by suicide. The organization funds research to improve interventions, educate clinicians in suicide prevention, and advocate for policy that will save lives. Save the Family helps families overcome homelessness through housing assistance, education and employment opportunities, caseworker support, and other life-enhancement programs Tempe Community Action Agency provides education, stability, and advocacy to working poor families, seniors and the homeless. The organization’s outreach programs benefit 43,000 people. Days for Girls: Love Girls, Period serves more than 1 million women and girls worldwide. The nonprofit provides washable menstrual hygiene solutions, health education, and social enterprises to females in need. Homeward Bound creates pathways out...

“We wanted innovation and efficiency,” Sandeep Manak, chief financial officer for Wesgroup Properties LP, said in November 2016, when his company announced its adoption of products from the Yardi Commercial Suite.  “We wanted a platform that integrated various departments so they could work more collaboratively.”  Other priorities included lower operational costs, more accurate budgeting and efficient management of an existing commercial and growing multifamily portfolio. One year later, how has that plan played out for Vancouver, British Columbia-based Wesgroup, a fully integrated real estate owner, operator and developer with 61 commercial and residential income-producing assets? “We have made good progress,” Manak says, starting with better access to lease and portfolio data. “Centralizing all lease and financial records in Yardi Voyager gives us a holistic repository of information that is easily accessible. We don’t have to look at different places or worry about version control or broken links.  We can drill down to lease clauses and very quickly understand an asset’s performance.” Wesgroup reduced costs by simplifying invoice processing with Yardi Procure to Pay, which automates the process all the way to vendor payment. “We pay several thousand dollars every month for document storage.  Storing images in Yardi Voyager significantly reduces these expenses in the long-term,” Manak says. Besides that, he adds, “approvers have immediate accessibility to vendor relationships by being able to review a vendor’s account and approve invoices for payment from the convenience as they are always out and about.” Meanwhile, Yardi Fixed Assets helps Wesgroup track assets that have varying amortization schedules.  “Previously each property had its own schedule —  for example, roofs amortized differently at different properties when the materials used to build them were identical, in the same geographical environment and were installed by the same builder. Fixed Assets automates...

For many residents, the Great Flood feels like it was only yesterday. In October 2015, the state of South Carolina received record-breaking precipitation. More than 25 inches of rain fell across the coastal region in less than 20 hours. Additional water spilled into the devastated communities when 13 dams failed. Homes flooded, ousting residents into the streets or crowded shelters. Businesses closed, adding to the economic strain of the struggling region. Even 74 miles of I-95, a major thoroughfare for relief and supplies, became impassible. “Our state was devastated,” recalls Babbie Jaco, vice president of Boyd Management, a Yardi client.  “Meadowfield Apartments, a USDA 515/Section 8 property in Summerton, SC–a very poor area–had more than 40 inches of water. There was water up to the windowsills for weeks. The water just wouldn’t recede.” The deluge of water saturated the soil and overwhelmed runoff infrastructure. To make matter worse, a ply board and other debris prevented a local storm drain from functioning. Local authorities would not discover the root of the problem until the DOT ditch had become a small lake. As the water lingered for weeks, residents of Meadowfield Apartments could not return home. Local Boy Scouts hosted a temporary camp for the residents. Yet as the fall pressed onward, the 150 displaced residents needed a place to call home. A Community United Many residents of the community, including the property owners, did not have flood insurance. As the property fell further into disrepair, with repair costs estimated to be more than $1.4 million, HUD prepared to remove its subsidy. News of the displaced families spread throughout the region. Then the volunteers arrived. Community members provided the manpower to clear the site and prepare it for renovation. Summerton Baptist Church joined forces with Southern Baptist Disaster...

On the outside, Holly Angel leads a normal life: full-time consultant and project manager at Yardi, mother of two girls, PTA mom, and recreational soccer player. But when it comes to the Yardi clients that she works with daily, Angel lives up to her last name on a regular basis. During CSD Appreciation Week, Angel took home two awards, the Directors Award and the MacGyver award. She was nominated by fellow Yardi employees. MacGyver Award Remember the television show “MacGyver?” IMDB describes it as “the adventures of a secret agent armed with almost infinite scientific resourcefulness.” One generation remembers it as hunky Richard Dean Anderson with duct tape and a Swiss army knife. It’s now being rediscovered by a new cohort of viewers on CBS, with Lucas Till in the starring role. In her two years with the company, Angel has proven to be both resourceful and supportive of her peers. Angel was honored to receive the MacGyver award. “Starting from a Technical Account Manager and moving in to the Consultant role, I am constantly given a variety of issues from our clients, challenging me to use my personal knowledge and the resources around me to find the solution that will work for the client,” she says. “This award is given to me by my peers and I am honored to be thought of so highly by those that I work with daily.” Directors Award Angel assists Yardi clients on the West Coast with projects such as software upgrades, ancillary product rollouts, and best practice reviews. With each interaction, Angel has demonstrated Director-quality character. “This is one of the highest awards that can be given as it is given by the Director of our Division,” explains Angel. “I am honored that I was chosen as...

When Grubb Properties decided to upgrade its Yardi Voyager property management and accounting platform to the latest version, the company knew it would meet a little resistance from its staff. Iris Esguerra, Grubb’s Information Technology Business Analyst and Yardi Project Manager, says, “While Grubb embraced the benefits of moving to 7S, our Voyager power users were a little nervous about the potential disruption an upgrade can cause. With a change management strategy that included a lot of communication and documentation through the testing process to go live, Grubb experienced a successful transition.” Our Upgrade Like a Rock Star series shares insider tips for the move to Yardi Voyager 7S. In this installment, Esguerra tells how Grubb made the conversion for its 4,448 multifamily units and 28 commercial properties. Testing and Training The upgrade process began in the fourth quarter of 2016 with a target to go live in late March 2017. Grubb relied heavily on its Yardi Consulting Practices contact, Tricia Wyatt, to stay on track and achieve a smooth transition to 7S. Esguerra says that Wyatt was instrumental in helping Grubb through the upgrade by supplying testing materials and guideline documents for each Yardi module. Relevant documents were distributed to keep testers focused. Since the upgrade would greatly impact the look and feel of the platform, the documents provided a clear breakdown of functionality which users tested and became familiar with in the stage database. Esguerra explains the process, “As the project manager for Grubb and single point of contact for the implementation upgrade, I was provided a project plan and testing checklist workbook. The workbook showed a timeline of goals to hit each week prior to the go-live date, testing results for each module, a list of Yardi root menu sets to...

When Yardi employee Isabella Mitchell read our original story on Yardi Vasti Vikas Prakalp (YVVP), she pondered ways to get involved with health and sanitation efforts in impoverished in Pune, India. Months later, she and her daughter received the opportunity of a lifetime. Isabella’s daughter, Angelina Mitchell, is a registered EMT and pre-med major at Binghamton University.  Angelina wanted to volunteer abroad and felt called to support Vasti Vikas Prakalp as well. When her mother received a work assignment in Pune, Angelina asked to join her on the trip. While Isabella worked, Bharati Kotwal, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at Yardi in Pune, helped Angelina find ways to get involved. The college student toured several clinics and hospitals with doctors via YVVP. The doctors serve at special sites that offer care free of charge. Angelina focused on programs that assist women and children. “Dr. Genesh showed me one of the mobile clinics that bring the services to the women and children who are not able to travel. These clinics have a doctor on staff that does free check ups and provides the women of Pune with the appropriate contraceptives. This clinic sees about 50 patients a day, 21 days out of every month,” said Angelina. At District Hospital, Dr. Ashwin leads a unique two-week program to prevent and treat malnourishment. Mothers are educated on proper nutrition for their children. Their malnourished children are simultaneously treated with a soft mixture of natural foods to restore health. The mothers receive a small stipend to offset their time in the program away from their families and work. Poor nutrition and early, frequent motherhood contributes to low iron level in local young women. Angelina learned that a lack of footwear exacerbates malnutrition and anemia. Hookworm infects already vulnerable...

Part two of a two-part feature. Read the first article. In 2014, real estate technology provider Yardi established The Yardi Foundation, which supports nonprofit organizations that are located near the company’s offices around the world. Yardi opted for a two-tier CSR model, dividing a seven-figure donation between them: one tier supports several small-scale projects. Yardi designates a sum for every office of more than 50 employees. The grants are allotted to local organizations that are nominated by employees and approved by peer committees. The second tier takes on an international challenge. Yardi launched Yardi Vasti Vikas Prakalp (YVVP) in Pune, India in 2006. It is one of Yardi’s largest CSR programs to date, providing financial support to 17 local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs). All partnering entities serve some of India’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods. Gordon Morrell, Executive Vice President, Yardi, works closely with The Yardi Foundation. “Our work there is focused within the urban poor communities that are just a short distance from the office. These projects include cleaning shared toilet blocks to improve sanitation, working in local schools and preschools, providing vocational training for young people, and funding a mobile medical unit specifically for women’s health issues. Some of the work is conducted by NGOs; in addition, Yardi has hired social workers to provide direct services in many of the areas,” Morrell said. Yardi uses multiple measures of success including impact surveys and reports directly from the NGOs and CBOs. As of 2016, YVVP provided health care services for 120,000 women and children; 500 sanitation units for poor urban communities; and career services for 1,480 teens and young adults. “We got involved in CSR because we simply wanted to give back to the communities that have supported our business and our...

When was the last time that you hopped on a bike and cycled nearly 51 miles? Team members  from the Yardi office in Sydney recently completed the 82km bike ride fundraiser, MS Sydney to the Gong. The course traces the southeastern coast of Australia, from bustling Sydney to beautiful Wollongong. The feat of endurance and passion raised funds for those living with multiple sclerosis. Graeme Pearse, Shaunak Kelkar, Zane George, Charobelle Campos and Chris Mumford were among the Yardi representatives. Most of them were cycling novices. “Before getting to the event, it’s important to note that we are novice riders, amateur at best,” shares Mumford. “Some of the team didn’t even own a bike when I first sent an email out to see who was interested. But a bit of training together gave the necessary confidence that we could do the distance.” The iconic race is worth the effort. About 10,000 cyclists get the opportunity to tour spectacular coastline south of The Harbour City. Most importantly, they are able to raise money for a debilitating illness that affects more than 23,000 Aussies. With compassion in their hearts and training as their foundation, the Yardi team prepared to overcome the odds. The odds weren’t favorable. At 7:30am, the Yardi team congregated near the start line, close to the back of the pack along with other beginners. The cyclists, amateurs and professionals, huddled against the cold rain which would last for long periods throughout the ride. Mumford says, “That said, the mood was upbeat with everyone excited about the challenge ahead and being part of something big and knowing this was raising money to a very worthwhile cause. The start, finish and route throughout was lined with many people cheering us on and many of those were living with...

Junior League is a woman-operated nonprofit organization that is committed to developing the potential of women, promoting volunteerism, and community improvement. Junior League of Santa Barbara (JLSB), founded in 1924, continues the tradition of leadership and service in the central coast. Several Yardi team members are involved with LSB including Tori Fisher, Sustainer Melanie Calbow, and Kelly Johnson. Johnson has been with the organization for four years. “I joined JLSB because I have always had a passion for volunteering and wanted to find more ways to become involved with the community,” says Johnson. “Through trainings, I have learned to excel in a variety of areas outside of my current job role and am learning to be a better leader.” She adds, “While the international Junior League was first founded in 1901, I think it is more relevant today than ever before.  Our mission remains the same: promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.” “We work towards making lasting improvements in the community, just as women did in the early 1900s,” Johnson continues. “Too often we hear about all of the negatives in the world and we need people coming together to make changes for the better.” The organization continues to be a positive force in the community. In 2016, JLSB raised more than $100,000 for local causes. Additionally, the Focus Area Committee at JLSB undertakes extensive research to select a Signature Project, the nonprofit’s most ambitious community service endeavor. One project can take several years. JLSB took on the renovation of Eastside Library as a former Signature Project. Phase one gave the teen space a modern and appealing update. Phase two transformed the basement of the library to a bright, fun, and welcoming space...